Ethiopia wins high level award for significant progress against Malaria

At the 28th African Union Summit, the 2017 African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) honored today (January 30) eight African countries that have shown commitment and innovation in the fight against malaria. The ALMA Awards for Excellence were given to Botswana, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Swaziland and Uganda for their impact on malaria incidence and mortality and Chad for its leadership in the fight against malaria. President of Chad and current Chairperson of the African Union Idriss Deby Itno said "The success of these countries shows the powerful impact that dedication and sufficient funding can have." Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of ALMA noted, "Ethiopia has been a leader in its commitment to improving the health of its citizens through strengthening its health sector." Since 2000, malaria mortality rates across the continent have fallen by 62 percent across all age groups and by 69 percent among children under five. ALMA is expected to closely work with the new Roll Back Malaria Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Kesetebirhan Admasu. Founded in 2009, ALMA is a groundbreaking coalition of African Heads of State and Government working across country and regional borders to achieve malaria-free Africa by 2030.